Christian Bale Visits Carey Rottman and James Eagan Holmes Victims, Proves He is a Real Life Superhero

In an act of true courageousness, The Dark Knight Rises’ actor, Christian Bale visited the victims of the horrific Aurora, Colo. shooting. Bale, who plays the dark and complicated Batman onscreen, made an unexpected appearance at a memorial held for the victims of the shooting on Tuesday in Colorado. He met the survivors of the tragic incident, showing the world that he may indeed be a real superhero.

During his visit to the devastated town, Bale thanked the medical staff and police officers that quickly responded to the massacre that killed 12 people and injured another 58 others. Residents were pleasantly surprised by Bale’s appearance at the memorial. Assistant vice president of surgical services at sister hospital Swedish Medical Center Janie Bowman-Hayes attended the memorial, and noted that Bale seemed “humble” and that “He took it upon himself to come and thank us.”

After the shooting, an online campaign implored the actor to visit Aurora and to meet with the victims of the shooting. Heeding the call, Bale made his way to the small town, where he spent some time walking around the movie theater where 12 white crosses have been erected to represent the lives lost in the heartbreaking event.

Another survivor of the shooting, Carey Rottman, posted pictures of the Batman star’s visit to his hospital room on Facebook. Bale spent over two hours visiting patients in the hospital, where they are still being treated for wounds they received during the shooting. Bale also met with doctors and other staff who had been on duty that chaotic night.

Earlier this week, Bale released a statement saying, “Words cannot express the horror that I feel. I cannot begin to truly understand the pain and grief of the victims and their loved ones, but my heart goes out to them."

As of now, Bale is the only person associated with the Batman movie to go to Colorado. However, many of his costars and Warner Bros. have also released statements conveying their heartache over what happened and their best wishes for the survivors. Nonetheless, Bale’s decision to visit the actual site of the shooting on his own shows that he truly embodies the qualities of a real hero; responding to the call of people who are in need of help.